The Consequences of Our Choices
by Mia-Zeklos
Summary: Really, Ianto should know better than to leave Jack tied up and all by himself. Coda to Adrift.


**Author's Notes: This was written by a request and actually got a bit more angsty than I had anticipated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

"Is she gone?" Jack asked as soon as Ianto closed the door behind himself.

It had been a long and tiring day and the entire team had been more than happy to see it end. It wasn't easy, doing what they did, and Ianto had the additional trouble of assisting Jack in one of his more questionable decisions. Being a leader was difficult – he could understand that – but it also meant listening to what those below you had to offer, and that hadn't happened that often lately. When all was said and done, Jack wasn't born to be a leader, he'd just been forced into it by the circumstances, and he'd confided that much into Ianto long ago. Still, it was hard to help someone who didn't want to listen.

"Huh?" Ianto frowned, still a bit distracted. "Oh, yeah. They all are. Why, what are you–"

Before he could say anything more, he felt Jack's arms around his body and closed his eyes as he accepted the soft kiss his lover offered. It was gentle and tentative and Ianto smiled into it. It had taken them some time to get to where they were now, but it had been worth every moment. Especially in moments such as this one when they could both forget everything that had happened during the day and could thrive in each other's presence and actions.

Ianto pushed him away and Jack immediately got the hint, sinking gracefully to his knees by the table. He looked up at Ianto from under his lashes and the younger man suppressed a shudder at the beauty of it; bright blue eyes staring intently at him, full of all the obedience and compliance Jack knew he expected of him.

Ianto knelt by his side to give him a quick peck on the lips and then fished for the short rope – just long enough to wrap around Jack's wrists twice – he kept on the desk.

"There's a good boy," he cooed when Jack held his hands up and let Ianto bind his arms to one of the table legs. He visibly preened under the praise and Ianto rewarded him with an affectionate smile. "Always so good at doing what I've told you to."

"Always," Jack echoed eagerly. He fidgeted a bit to get more comfortable and Ianto patiently waited for him.

"Are you good now?" He asked and, once Jack nodded, patted him on the shoulder. "Good. Wait for me here, now, would you? I'll go make us some coffee."

"Ianto–" Jack protested and then closed his mouth abruptly when faced with Ianto's peeved expression. "Of course, sir."

The frown quickly morphed into a smile. "Good boy," Ianto repeated and descended down the stairs.

Not that it was really about the coffee. He just needed an excuse to make Jack wait; to get the anticipation to build even more than it already had. It was all about that, sometimes, even if Jack still failed to understand it. He'd never argued, though. Actually, he got distinctly quieter once they were alone and Ianto found it positively charming. Once the loud, imposing persona fell off, what left behind was everything that Ianto appreciated about him – his mind, his quick thought, his somewhat roughened up beauty and even his impatience.

"Ianto?"

Ah, there it was. Jack was getting frustrated, and that would make the results of anything they did later all the better. Ianto smiled. "Just a minute, Jack," he shouted back.

He kept on with his work and was just about finished when his phone rang from his pocket.

"Hello!" He greeted when he saw Gwen's number. Shoving his phone between his face and shoulder, he tried to balance everything at once.

She didn't bother beating around the bush. "You left me that package, didn't you?"

"Ianto?" There was a different edge to Jack's voice now – it sounded more like a question than an exclamation to spur him on – and Ianto flinched slightly, worried. Jack didn't like being alone for too long when he was tied up and unable to move.

Still, he didn't miss a beat. "Dunno what you mean." He was a good liar – and an even better one on the phone – but he still knew that he couldn't fool her. He hadn't tried to hide his involvement in the case at all.

"Ianto, what's going on?" She wouldn't give in, and that was why Ianto had given her the GPS in the first place. She had to figure the rest out by herself, though, as Ianto didn't want to go even further against Jack's orders than he already had.

"Ianto!" There was definitely something like panic lacing Jack's tone and Ianto glanced up in apprehension. If he kept up the denial of anything in front of Gwen, they could carry on until midnight, and he couldn't afford it. Not now, anyway.

"Night, Gwen," he said quickly, hanging up just in time to hear her protests.

Drinks and any other distractions now completely forgotten, Ianto quickly took the way back to Jack's office, climbing the stairs two at a time. He shoved the door open to see Jack's eyes wide open and his entire body tenser than he'd ever witnessed it being. He cupped his face in his hands, drawing soothing circles over his cheekbones with his thumbs when Jack tried to flinch away.

"Shhh, calm down," he whispered as Jack trashed in his restraints. "It's me. You hear me, Jack? It's me. I'm not going to hurt you."

Jack was taking shallow, shivering breaths and soft sobs left his partially open lips, but Ianto made no move to untie him. Jack had told him time and time again that this would happen every once in a while and that he wanted to get over it. After all, it just wouldn't do, Jack always said when Ianto tried to protest about it, to collapse just like that if he got kidnapped at any point in the future.

"Ianto," he whispered again, more of a statement than anything else, and the younger man let his fingers trace the lonely tear that ran down Jack's cheek. "I'm sorry," he added, voice a bit stronger this time. "I panicked, it was stupid–"

"No, it wasn't," Ianto shot back immediately. "It wasn't, Jack," he insisted when the Captain looked like he might be about to object. "I'm the one who has to apologise. I shouldn't have left you alone for so long."

"You're here now." Ianto's heart broke along with Jack's voice, especially when he could recognise the grateful note of it. As if he'd done something heroic instead of living him tied up and helpless by himself. "That's all that matters."

"I'll always be here when you need me, okay?" Ianto assured, trying to keep his voice level. "Try to remember that."

"I always remember that," Jack countered; a ghost of his usual smile curling his lips. "Why else would I be calling for you?"


End file.
